What a Living Nightmare
by The Good Savage
Summary: A old acquaintance of Cap's has returned, poisoning the Avengers with a weird medicine called "Morpheus." Now, as Earth's mightiest heroes fight their own demons, Natasha Romanoff has to convince the God of Mischief to help them, unfortunately, the price may be too high...


**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Avengers! It's owned by Marvel and Disney!

**Based on the prompt on the Avengers Kink's comm:**Loki/Natasha, one-sided or pairing: the Liesmith bested at his own game - "So the more I think on this, the more I like it: Loki is the Lie-smith, the Silvertongued, the sneaky god of trickery and twisting words and double-edged meaning. And then he goes and meets Natasha on the carrier, and thinks he can toy with her - he views her as inferior, holds Clint over her head, uses what Clint's told him of her past against her. He watches her fall apart, ripped to pieces by his words and cunning, and revels in the victory...

...only to have her head snap up, her eyes go bright and intense, and a smile grace her lips once he inadvertently gives her what she wanted.

The God of Lies and Cunning, bested at his own game by a mere MORTAL.

I would absolutely LOVE to see Loki after the movie (when? after, don't really otherwise care how far after) realizing just how well she played him, and coming to the conclusion that this mortal might just be the only woman fit to match him. Cue respect, admiration, and the start of desire...

Maybe it's just Loki thinking in his prison dealing with this, maybe for whatever reason he needs to deal with the Avengers and refuses to deal with anyone but Natasha, who he now views as his equal.

Take it from there, anons! Wherever you think it will go, I'd be more than fine with. :D"

-_ "italic" - thoughts._

- "normal dialogue."

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**_What a Living Nightmare_**

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Moonlight was bathing his face while his own mind was wrapped on the malevolent, but uncommonly secure embrace of darkness; footsteps could be heard coming his way however he couldn't find himself to care, maybe he should maybe he shouldn't, let's see if his visitors could humor him this time.

**_The Enemy Within_**

- "Brother…"

- "…" - the trickster would recognize the voice of his once older brother anywhere, but something seemed odd about the always booming and strong voice of the God of Thunder, it seemed tired and somehow…sad. "_Interesting…"_

- "Loki, just this time, talk with me…please…"

- "Are my ears deceiving me or is the powerful Thor pleading for my assistance?" – he had hidden his face in the dark, but the teasing happiness coming at Thor's suffering couldn't be occulted from his voice.

- "I…" - before Thor could continue, he felt a hand on his should, signalizing that he had already done enough. Surprised by the action and the effect that it had on Thor, Loki turned his attention to the other person who was accompanying his brother; he couldn't have been more surprised, for standing there was no one else, but the Black Widow.

There were few creatures that the Frost Giant would admit that were pleasing knowing and fewer were those who managed to get his attention, although there was one and just one single being that he would ever admit (perhaps just for himself…perhaps) that captivated him; a small conversation between hunters being enough to get his mind blank while his heart applauded the deceiver behind the woman.

It seemed that, at hard times, the human spy liked to separate herself from her alias as if it would make herself look more innocent, her ledger cleaner and her soul purer. Such a foolish notion, an inconsequent pray, even now she was a child at heart and would never know it. Couldn't she see that Natasha was the Black Widow? That they were nothing, but the same? Both smelled blood and drank lives to keep their own, it was a part of who she was and it would never go away. Loki gave her a full and disconcerting happy laughter. _Yes, finally, the dear widow…_

- "Agent Romanoff, what an unexpected surprise! To what do I own this visit? Surely, you didn't come for a new bargain, did you?" – he didn't mean his last sentence, but his watching eyes caught a fast shadow misting hers and he knew that yes, she came exactly for that. "_Well, wasn't that an amazing turn of events?"_

- "Lady Natasha, I'll let you alone with my brother for now, the guards are outside in case you need some kind of help". – it took some time to Thor find his voice again, his blue eyes were guarded, his figure a shadow of his cheerful self. Natasha understood why everything seemed so hard for him now and she was sorry for him, for everyone else at that. She gave him a half smile, trying to say with it that everything would be okay; he said nothing, actually, she doubted he could feel anything at the moment.

Loki watched with interest the scene before him, obviously something was very wrong, if Thor's posture and sudden change of character was any indicative at all. While his brother's figure dissipated into the darkness, his gaze rested on his favorite arachnid.

Natasha, herself, seemed tired and uncommonly open; her guarded mask seemed cracked, near its breaking point if he dared say. He would have continued his observations if not for her interruption.

- "First, be assured that I wouldn't be here talking with you if I had a different choice, but as I don't I came here with a offer…" - her breath seemed to be caged on her lungs, taking from her minutes she didn't have to lose – "As you well know, Captain America was having a hard time adjusting to his new life, so he was directed to one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s many psychiatrist, unfortunately it wasn't be the best course of action that we took." – she stopped again, her eyes unfocused and her breathing was erratic. "_Something was, indeed, VERY wrong…"_

- "By all means, dear spider, do continue…" - he said that as if trying to humor her, it seemed to work as he got a very dirty glare coming from her. "_There she was again, but for how long?"_

- "The psychiatrist is an old acquaintance of Cap's, his name is Johann Fennhoff also known as Doctor Faustus, he almost made Steve kill himself; his cover was discovered but it was way too late. Faustus managed to infect us with some kind of sleep medication named Morpheus, it makes the victim fall in a deep sleep where seemly the person is haunted by nightmares, dying 48 hours later."

- "And why did you come to me? Why did you think I would help you after you and yours precious Avengers spoiled my plans? Actually, as stupid this human doctor's plot seems to me, it'll be quite helpful to me if his medicine kills you all…"

- "AS I said…I didn't have a choice. Fury is already dead and the rest of the team is trapped inside their minds; it's only a matter of time until they succumb." – Natasha didn't know for long she could keep herself awake, she had to make him accept it and quickly.

- "Interesting…well, let's suppose I decide to help you, then what? What will I gain in return?" – his emerald eyes watched her tired figure and she tried to steed herself.

- "Odin said he will grant you your freedom, forgiveness an…"

- "My freedom, you say? Well, by the looks of Thor, I suppose that he was affected as well, wasn't he?" – her silence was the only answer he needed – "Of course, he was; the All-Father wouldn't have cared for insignificant humans as yourselves if his golden heir wasn't poisoned too. Oh, and forgiveness you say? I couldn't care less for it, maybe if I were a lesser man, but as I'm not…" - Loki smirked at her, Natasha's body was starting to give up.

- "BULLSHIT, LOKI! WHAT'S YOUR PRICE?" – she was the Black Widow, she begged for nothing not even for her life, however her life wasn't the only thing on the balance this time.

She could stand it no longer; her system was shutting down, her vision getting darker by the minute. It seemed that she could hear some murmurs coming from Loki's cell, but she couldn't be sure at all. The murmurs were starting to sound distant now, however she still had the strength to hear and answer it before darkness overcame her.

- "…this is my bargain, widow. Do you accept it?"

- "Yes."

Natasha Romanoff, finally, let herself fall in the arms of Morpheus, succumbing to it before hearing the word that would be the changing factor of her life…

_Deal._

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**A/N: **Well, this fiction is based on some Captain America comics, but it may be seen as an alternative version of them; also I don't know if this is what the OP wished, but anyway that was what I got from my mind. o.O'

_**1/8 chapters...**_


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